Femtosecond laser patterning of plasmonic and nonlinear optical properties in silver-doped

Nowadays the optical properties and structural arrangements of several inorganic materials can be modified using ultrafast and intense laser sources. Among several lithographic techniques, Direct Laser Writing (DLW) considered as a maskless patterning process, presents numerous advantages over usual techniques. DLW offers rapid patterning at sub-micrometer resolutions, with flexibility and scalability. At last, true three-dimensional structuration is allowed thanks to non-linear interaction in optical transparent materials. In this context, DLW of materials containing photosensitive agents can initiate photochemical processes,[1,2] opening routes toward the design of nanocomposites. DLW techniques can modify the size, the shape, and the arrangement of the metal clusters. It is a powerful and flexible tool to control and optimize the linear and nonlinear properties of metallo-dielectric composites. Many groups have shown interest in patterning metals in three dimensions in transparent media such as glasses [3] or polymers [4]. This becomes particularly challenging when structures much smaller than the diffraction limit need to be patterned for infrared or optical applications.